Violence and Debates over Slavery Kansas and Nebraska
Violence and Debates over Slavery
Kansas and Nebraska • Popular sovereignty • Nature of gov’t decided by the people • Kansas and Nebraska become the proving grounds
Kansas and Nebraska • Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) • Spearheaded by Democrat Stephen Douglas • Repealed Missouri Compromise • Slavery decided by popular sovereignty • Settlers from North and South race to occupy Kansas • Pro- and abolitionist governments formed in different cities
Kansas and Nebraska • Debate eventually turns to violence • Referred to as Bleeding Kansas due to the shear number of raids, harassment and massacres • U. S. army eventually occupies and settles violence • Eventually admitted as a free state
Kansas and Nebraska • The act increases division in the Democratic Party and gives rise to the anti-slavery Republican Party
• Violence also extends into Congress with the caning of anti-slavery congressmen, Charles Sumner in 1856
Lincoln/Douglas Debate History and Structure "A man never tells you anything until you contradict him. " -George Bernard Shaw
Lincoln/Douglas Debate (1858) • Dred Scott v. Stanford (1856) • Ruled that slaves were property • Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional • Convinced more people that slavery had hold over gov’t and courts
Lincoln/Douglas Debates of 1858 • The 1858 election campaign for U. S. Senate for state of Illinois • Stephen A. Douglas against Republican Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln/Douglas Debates of 1858 • The 1858 election campaign for U. S. Senate for state of Illinois • Stephen A. Douglas against Republican Abraham Lincoln • 7 debates in 7 different cities in Illinois • Lincoln: Slavery needed to be abolished with legislation • Douglas: Popular sovereignty would slowly kill slavery
Lincoln/Douglas Debates of 1858 • Douglas won the Senate position, but Lincoln de facto won the debate • Douglas supported Dred Scott case (slavery constitutional) so popular sovereignty was an empty phrase • Would later win the presidential election in 1860
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